Stan Swamy, accused in Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, passes away at 84

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Sunday issued a notice to the Maharashtra government in the wake of a complaint alleging the serious health condition of the imprisoned activist.

Mumbai: Tribal rights activist Stan Swamy, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, passed away ahead of his bail hearing in the Bombay High Court. Monday (July 5).

The 84-year-old Jesuit priest was on ventilator support. He died at 1.30 pm on Monday (July 5). Dr. Ian D'Souza, director of the Holy Family Hospital in suburban Bandra, told the HC's division bench of Justices SS Shinde and NJ Jamadar.

Dr. Ian D'Souza told the court that Swamy suffered a cardiac arrest early Sunday (July 4) morning following which he was put on ventilator support. "He (Swamy) did not recover and passed away this afternoon," the official told the court.

The bench had then adjourned the hearing on Swamy's medical bail plea to Tuesday and extended his stay at the hospital till then.

Last week, Swamy also filed a fresh plea in the HC, challenging section 43D(5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which imposes stringent bars on the grant of bail to an accused charged under the Act.

On Monday, Desai said he will not be moving the HC for any urgent hearing on either the bail plea or the fresh plea challenging provisions of the UAPA.

In the Elgar-Parishad case, Swamy and his co-accused have been charged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as being members of frontal organizations working on behalf of the banned CPI (Maoists).

Last month, the NIA had filed an affidavit before the HC opposing Swamy's bail plea. It had said there did not exist a "conclusive proof" of his medical ailments. It alleged that Swamy was a Maoist, who had hatched a conspiracy to create unrest in the country.

The Elgar Parishad case is related to inflammatory speeches made at a conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which, the police claimed, triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

The police had claimed the conclave was organized by people with alleged Maoist links. Swamy, who claims to be suffering from several ailments, including Parkinson's disease, had moved the high court earlier this year through advocate Desai, seeking medical treatment and interim bail on health grounds.

He had tested positive for coronavirus at a private hospital last month and was subsequently shifted to the ICU.